International

Firefighters battle wildfire in Arizona

  Crews battling a wildfire in north Arizona stopped the march of the flames toward residential areas but the possibility of evacuation remains.  A wildfire  continued to burn on along a scenic corridor in northern Arizona on Friday (May 23), as fire crews battled to contain the wind-whipped blaze. Thousands of residents were still on alert for possible evacuations from the the so-called Slide Fire, threatening the tourist-popular area near Sedona and Flagstaff. Erratic winds were to blame for the […]

Thai coup draws swift international condemnation; U.S. reviews military aid to Thailand

(Reuters) – The military takeover in Thailand drew swift international condemnation on Thursday, with the United States saying it was reviewing its military aid and other dealings with its closest ally in Southeast Asia. Thailand’s army chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, seized control of the government two days after he declared martial law, saying the military had to restore order and push through reforms after six months of turmoil. The military declared a curfew from 10 p.m. until […]

California man charged with kidnapping 15 year old a decade ago

(Reuters) — A California man accused of abducting a 15-year-old girl and holding her captive for a decade was charged on Thursday with rape and kidnapping, even as his lawyer suggested the young woman went with him willingly and was treated “like a queen.” Police say the woman, now 25, told detectives she endured a decade of physical and sexual abuse after being abducted by her mother’s live-in boyfriend, Isidro Garcia, from the family’s suburban Santa Ana home in 2004. […]

North Korean artillery fires at South Korean navy ship, and misses

(Reuters) – North Korean artillery fired at least one shot which landed near a South Korean navy patrol ship south of the two sides’ disputed maritime border on Thursday (May 22), but it did not hit the vessel, a military official in Seoul said. “Today at 6:00 p.m., an artillery bomb was dropped near our navy ship, which was on the patrol mission in our waters, 14 km south of the NLL (Northern Limited Line), so immediately we fired back near the enemy’s […]

Thai military suspend country’s Constitution, declares curfew after state coup

BANGKOK, May 22 (PNA/ITAR-TASS) — Thailand’s military has announced the temporary suspension of the country’s Constitution just hours after declaring a state coup in the South-East Asian nation. In a televised address, the Thai military said that despite the constitution’s suspension, courts, Senate and independent institutions, such as the Election Commission and the National Anti-Corruption Commission, continue to operate in a routine mode. The current Thai Constitution was developed after the 2006 coup in the […]

China says Vietnam making “unreasonable accusations”

(Reuters)– Vietnam has made “unreasonable” accusations against China, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday (May 22), after the Vietnamese government said it was considering various “defense options” against China, including legal action. “Now they are distorting the facts, conflating right and wrong on the global stage, blackening China and making unreasonable accusations against China. Just who is the one who is repeatedly challenging other countries’ sovereignty? Who is the one who is causing tensions in the seas? Who on earth is destroying […]

Thai army takes control of government two days after martial law declaration

(Reuters) – Thailand’s army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha seized control of the government on Thursday (May 22), saying the army had to restore order and push through reforms, two days after he declared martial law. Prayuth made the announcement in a television broadcast after he held a meeting with all rival factions aimed at finding a solution to six months of anti-government protests. He said the takeover would not affect international relations. Also on Thursday, […]